Afghan President Hamid Karzai speaks at a press conference in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, March 7, 2009. Karzai said on Saturday that he would support the Independent Election Commission's decision to hold presidential election on August 20.

KABUL, March 7 -- Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai on Saturday said he would support the Independent Election Commission's decision to hold presidential election on August 20.

"I accept the commission's decision," Karzai said. " I need a legitimate government."

Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission (IEC) on Wednesday rejected Karzai's order of moving the presidential election forward to April, months earlier than the date set by the commission in January.


Afghan President Hamid Karzai speaks at a press conference in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, March 7, 2009.

Karzai's five-year office term ends on May 21, and the presidential election should take place 30 to 60 days before that date in accordance with the constitution of the post-Taliban country.

Karzai, who has declared his intention to run for a second term, issued a decree last week, ordering the election commission to move the election forward to adhere to the Afghan constitution.

He made this announcement while his political opponents are calling for establishing provisional government to run the country from May 22 until August 20.

However, president Karzai said that formation of provisional administration is not in the constitution.

Nevertheless, he stressed that, "I want stability in this country. I support legitimacy of the system and respect the constitution 100 percent."　
(Xinhua)